THYME SPRIGS RECIPES

Steps:

• Firstly, prepare the lamb. Heat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Wipe the meat all over and season well. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy flameproof casserole, add the meat and fry all over on a fairly high heat for about 8 mins, turning until it is evenly well browned. Remove to a plate.
• Thinly slice the onions. Add to the pan and fry for about 10 mins, until softened and tinged with brown. Add a few of the thyme sprigs and cook for a further minute or so. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sit the lamb on top of the onions, then add the wine. Cover tightly. Bake for 3 hrs. You can make to this stage up to 2 days in advance, then reheat for 45 mins.
• To finish off, strip the leaves from 2 thyme sprigs and chop them with the parsley. Scatter over before serving.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a flameproof and ovenproof dish. Add the onions, celery, bay and thyme, and fry for about 8 mins until softened. Add the pork and cook for a few mins until it changes colour, but it doesn’t need to brown as you don’t want to overcook it.
• Stir in the mustard powder, garlic, flour and vinegar, then pour in the bouillon, stirring to prevent any lumps forming.
• Add the apple, leeks and carrots, bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the pork and vegetables are tender.
• When the stew is nearly cooked, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. To make the dumplings, tip the flour, baking powder, mustard powder, parsley and thyme into a bowl and stir to combine. Put the yogurt in a jug, make up to 100ml with water, then stir in the oil. Lightly stir the liquid into the flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Divide the dough equally into eight and shape into balls. Drop them on top of the stew, drizzling each one with the remaining oil. Bake for 20 mins until the dumplings are golden. Scatter with the extra thyme, if you like, before serving.